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StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
Heart of the Swarm is the name of the StarCraft II zerg campaign and episode. It will be released separately from the other two gamesMike Farley. 2008-10-10. StarCraft II Single Player Is A Trilogy! Kotaku.com Accessed 2008-10-10.Eduardo Vasconcellos. 2008-10-10. Blizzcon 08: StarCraft II Split Into Three Games. IGN. Accessed 2008-10-10. and is expected to be priced as an expansion.Webnet. 2009-08-17. Rob Pardo Q&A - Battle.net, Wings of Liberty, and more. StarCraft Source. Accessed 2009-08-29. It follows Wings of Liberty and precedes Legacy of the Void chronologicallyChris Metzen, Brian Kindregan, StarCraft Legacy staff. 2010-10-23. BlizzCon 2010 StarCraft II Lore Panel. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2010-10-25.StarCraft Legacy staff. 2008-04-04. StarCraft II Lore Panel. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed on 2009-05-12 and storywise.2007-17-11, StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 46. Karune. Accessed on 2008-18-11 Development Blizzard's storyboard team was already working on Heart of the Swarm while Wings of Liberty s gameplay was refined.2010-04-30, GiantBomb: Chris Metzen Talks StarCraft II and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2010-05-06 A few missions ideas have been pitched, but nothing has been solidified yet, nor has its multiplayer.2010-05-02, Blizzard's Dustin Browder talks StarCraft 2. joystiq, accessed on 2010-07-30 Blizzard does not expect to release Heart of the Swarm in 2011.Wesley Yin-Poole. 2011-02-11. Heart of the Swarm "unlikely" for 2011. Eurogamer. Accessed 2011-02-14. As of March 2011 Dustin Browder expected Heart of the Swarm to finish development in approximately one year.Medievaldragon. 2011-03-06. GDC 2011: Dustin Browder Confirms StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm on 2012. Blizzplanet. Accessed 2011-03-05. Heart of the Swarm is expected to have about 20 missions, and in much of the world will be priced as an expansion.Lovedrop. 2011-05-31. TeamLiquid Heart of the Swarm Preview. Teamliquid. Accessed 2011-05-31. Heart of the Swarm is expected to have a multiplayer beta. Storyline Heart of the Swarm is a sequel to Wings of Liberty.Russ Frushtick. 2010-08-23. Blizzard Gives An Update On 'StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm'. MTV Multiplayer. Accessed 2010-08-24. It focuses on Sarah KerriganRob Pardo. 2008-10-10. Starcraft 2 Trilogy Announcement. Wegame.com Accessed 2008-10-12. and the development of a zerg empire.2009-06-29, Jonathan Ross, Destructoid interview: StarCraft II's Dustin Browder. Destructoid. Accessed on 2009-07-23 Kerrigan is no longer considered the Queen of Blades. Questions remain about why Kerrigan is no longer with Jim Raynor and whether her transformation has given her new purpose.Blizzard Entertainment. Story. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2011-06-01. More will be seen of the Kel-Morian Combine and Umojan Protectorate.Brian Kindregan, Eldorian. 2010-10-28. Blizzcon: Interview with StarCraft 2 Lead Writer Brian Kindregan. Blizzplanet. Accessed 2010-10-31. Concept art shown at BlizzCon 2010 depicts a (number of) jungle setting(s). During the Invasion of Char, the zerg were recalled to Char, and were in route aboard leviathans when Kerrigan was deinfested. The broods aboard the leviathans died or scattered over the Koprulu Sector, according to Izsha. And the (temporary) absence of a leader for the Swarm opened way to rogue/dissident brood mothers, such as Za'gara. Seemingly at the beginning, a Terran Dominion task force led by Nova Terra attacked a lab, seeking Kerrigan. Jim Raynor was also there, fighting and attempting to rescue Kerrigan.2011-05-31. Blizzard Entertainment. Debut Teaser HD. Gametrailers. Accessed 2011-05-31. Meanwhile, General Horace Warfield's forces are attempting to purge Char. One of Kerrigan's goals is to reunify and enhance the swarm before dealing with Arcturus Mengsk. She has to make hard choices over the course of the campaign—she's on the run in a sense and will have to defend against herself against other races due to her past as the Queen of Blades. She is amnesic, and unsure of her place in regards to her subordinates.2011-05-31, Hands On With StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm’s Campaign, Now With More RPG and Space Yetis. Kotaku, accessed on 2011-06-09 The story is intended to have a darker feel than Wings of Liberty, due to the zerg being the protagonists.2011-06-01, Interview: StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm director Dustin Browder. Shack News, accessed on 2011-07-08 According to writer Brian T. Kindregan, the story is going to be "a complete story of Sarah Kerrigan and the zerg," and that it have "its own satisfying ending."2011-06-?, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm features mutating DNA, yetis from space. Ars Technica, accessed on 2011-07-08 He intends for the story to convey the zerg mindset and their code of ethics, though not so far to convey the idea that the zerg are simply misunderstood.2011-06-15, Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm video preview. Atomic, accessed on 2011-07-08 Gameplay Units There will be new multiplayer units for each of the three playable races.2011-05-31, Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm preview. PCGamer, accessed on 2011-07-08 Blizzard is planning on new units or major fixes to existing units.Brad Shoemaker. 2011-05-31. Plunging Into the Heart of StarCraft II's Zerg Swarm. Giant Bomb. Accessed 2011-05-31. The lurker is a possibility but has not been confirmed.Dustion Browder, Callandor, Macbeth. 2011-01-28. Exclusive: Interview with Dustin Browder – StarCraft 2’s Lead Designer (Part 1). Game Axis. Accessed 2011-01-28. At BlizzCon 2010, the infested bunker was touted as a possible campaign unit. Concept art indicates the presence of another new zerg unit.2010-10-24, BlizzCon 2010 StarCraft II Art Panel. StarCraft Legacy, accessed on 2011-01-29 In addition, Blizzard is planning on un-nerfing the reaper. Dustin Browder said that "it’s still too early to know which units will make the final cut. We are trying to create mutations of many of your favorite units from StarCraft lore that allow you to really feel like you are mutating and evolving your Swarm. We are also exploring bringing in creatures that have been previously seen but never controlled in StarCraft." Dustin Browder, Blizzard Entertaiment staff. 2011-05-31. Blizzard Insider Interview With Dustin Browder. Blizzard Entertainment's Battle.net official website Accessed 2011-06-01. Singleplayer The campaign operates similarly to an RPG, in which Kerrigan is focused on increasing her personal power through mutations. Zerg armies protect her as she garners this power.Allen 'Delsyn' Rausch, Dustin Browder. 2008-10-10. StarCraft II: Making the Split (PC) (page 2). Gamespy. Accessed 2008-10-12. The greater her power, the more zerg she's able to control.2008-17-10, Q&A: The Starcraft II Brain Trust. Giant Bomb News. Accessed on 2008-20-10 Like Wings of Liberty, the player will be presented with choices as to which missions to carry out and which units to get, but such choices won't be based on cash.2009-06-29, Jonathan Ross, Destructoid interview: StarCraft II's Dustin Browder. Destructoid. Accessed on 2009-07-29 Both the missions and their objectives are intended to be quite different from the ones featured in Wings of Liberty.2010-05-02, Blizzard's Dustin Browder talks StarCraft 2. JoyStiq, accessed on 2010-05-03 She will instead worry about evolving the Swarm.Dustin Browder, Phil Kollar. 2010-09-19. Afterwords: StarCraft II. Game Informer. Accessed 2010-09-21. Kerrigan can increase her stats in a manner similar to Warcraft III, but not to the same extent. According to Dustin Browder "Kerrigan will appear on almost every map in Heart of the Swarm. Unlike Raynor, Kerrigan is a creature of power that leads her army from the front, smashing aside siege tanks and destroying battlecruisers with her psionic abilities. And unlike Wings of Liberty, the mission isn’t over if she dies. Kerrigan will be able to revive at the nearest hatchery if she is killed, allowing you to use her aggressively against your enemies."Dustin Browder, Blizzard Entertaiment staff. 2011-05-31. Blizzard Insider Interview With Dustin Browder. Blizzard Entertainment's Battle.net official website Accessed 2011-06-01. Kerrigan initially starts out looking very human and armed with a gun, though she can control zerg forces. The player can choose one of four "battle focus" for Kerrigan before each mission. Each battle focus allows Kerrigan to have a certain set of special abilities. She can increase different aspects of her own power, such as "spec-op" or "corruption", as well as purchasing upgrades at the with mutagen points.2011-05-31. Blizzard Entertainment. Debut Trailer HD. Gametrailers. Accessed 2011-05-31. About the "hive-evolution" mechanic Dustin Browder said "we are trying to focus the player on finding new DNA from exotic and strange creatures around the sector so that you really feel like the key to zerg success is finding and infesting the immense, deadly monsters that live on the most savage planets in the galaxy."Dustin Browder, Blizzard Entertaiment staff. 2011-05-31. Blizzard Insider Interview With Dustin Browder. Blizzard Entertainment's Battle.net official website Accessed 2011-06-01. The campaign will feature a branched storyline structure. Each planet will give access to multiple missions. Three missions are called War for the Brood, Silence their Cries and Shoot the Messenger.StarCraft Legacy staff. 2011-05-30. May 2011 HoTS Gameplay Info. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2011-05-31. The set pieces will alter in accordance with planet and the results of missions.2011-05-31, Know the Swarm. G4TV, accessed on 2011-07-08 It is intended that character lines will be altered slightly based on context—not new scenes, but ones that will be contextually appropriate.2011-06-01, Interview: StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm director Dustin Browder. Shack News, accessed on 2011-07-08 Multiplayer Blizzard plans on adding "drawing" functionality for referees in Heart of the Swarm.''Zarhym. 2010-03-12. #BlizzChat Developer Chat on Twitter – 3/12. ''Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2010-03-13. From a multiplayer standpoint, Heart of the Swarm is an expansion, not a sequel.Russ Frushtick. 2010-08-23. Blizzard Gives An Update On 'StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm'. MTV Multiplayer. Accessed 2010-08-24. It will have a separate ladder from Wings of Liberty.''Dustin Browder, Roy "Phantom" Kwan. 2011-02-17. Heart of the Swarm to Have Separate Ladder. ''GosuGamers. Accessed 2011-02-18. Heart of the Swarm will have the same e-sports focus as Wings of Liberty.Dustin Browder, Owen Hill. 2011-03-04. Browder hints at Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm updates. Emphasises importance of e-sports. PC Gamer. Accessed 2011-03-05. Notes In December 2010, a video was uploaded claiming to be the ending cinematic to Heart of the Swarm. The video was a very early rendering of the video with a temporary sound track and a watermark for The Third Floor, a company known to have done some of the cinematic work for Wings of Liberty. Blizzard did not comment on the video as part of its general policy to "not comment on rumors or speculation".Owen Good. 2010-12-08. Ending Leaked For StarCraft II’s Next Chapter?. Kotaku. Accessed 2011-03-29 Videos References Heart of the Swarm Category: Storyline Category: StarCraft II Category: Games